1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for splitting articles. More particularly, the invention is concerned with splitting articles which are formed of a plurality of integrally formed containers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the area of pharmaceutical packaging and distribution, pharmaceutical substances are commonly packaged in small vials made of glass or plastic known as ampoules. Ampoules can be made in a variety of sizes, and are commonly made so that each ampoule holds approximately one dose of a particular pharmaceutical. Recently, mass produced ampoules have been constructed such that a plurality of ampoules are simultaneously and integrally formed into a belt-like configuration.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,885 issued to Anderson, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference, teaches a method and apparatus for manufacturing ampoule cards wherein each card comprises a plurality of integrated ampoules. The cards are made out of a soft plastic where each ampoule is attached to one another by means of a weakened line or score in the soft plastic between each individual ampoule. Although any number of ampoules may be formed into an ampoule card, it is common to receive ampoule cards that include 6 ampoules.
Ampoules typically have a flat end and an enlarged end wherein the enlarged end provides a vessel for storing a substance and the flat end provides a grip for handling the ampoule. Therefore, in order to minimize packaging and transportation costs, ampoule cards are typically stacked in alternating layers facing opposite directions so that the enlarged ends are nested with the flat ends. Once the nested ampoule cards are received, it is desirable that the cards be split into individual ampoules so that they may be individually packaged for safety or longevity purposes. For example, a particular pharmaceutical may last longer if it is stored in the dark. Such a container would preferably be individually wrapped in a lightproof wrapper and packaged, together with a plurality of other wrapped ampoules, into a box. Packaged as such, many ampoules can be provided in a box so that unused ampoules are not exposed to light when the box is opened.
In order to separate ampoule cards into individual ampoules, it has been known to punch, knock or push the containers so as to break the reduced thickness sections between the individual ampoules. However, it has been found that such methods involve substantial manual labor costs.
A further disadvantage arises when it is necessary to split ampoule cards that are stacked alternately facing opposite directions and it is desired that the individual ampoules face the same direction after being split from the ampoule cards.